The image of Thomas More in 20th century plays A presentation of

Moreana 109 page 23-46
The image of Thomas More in 20th century plays
A presentation of five More dramas
Christoph Peters
Abstract
Christoph Peters’ article presents five More dramas of the 20th century, all written for the screen or
the professional stage. Anouilh’s script, which historically is fairly accurate, depicts More as a careful
man. He tries to avoid torture and capital punishment, but he is nevertheless confident in having
made the right decision; More stays silent and, in the end, is glad to die. Stuart, who concentrates on
More’s inner struggle, shows him as an even more fearful man. He cannot face the prospect of Tyburn,
and only when he is condemned to die by the axe does he regain a measure of confidence. Although
Doherty does not create such a radical image of More, his protagonist is in no way eager to become a
martyr. But his confidence enables him to overcome his fear of Tybum. The remaining two German
dramas by Regau and Willeke are completely different. Both of them depict More as a willing martyr,
who courageously opposes the king and is never afraid of what will happen to him and his family.
Résumé
Christoph Peters présente ici cinq textes dramatiques composés au 20e siècle, ayant More comme
protagoniste: Jean Anouilh, Thomas More ou l'homme libre; Felix Doherty, The King’s Servant; Thomas
Regau, Thomas Morus; Caspar Willeke, Der Hochverräter; Morna Stuart, Traitor’s Gate. Chaque œuvre
donne lieu à une notice biographique sur l’auteur, au rappel de la liste des personnages, à un résumé
de l’action replacée dans son cadre spatial et temporel et à une approche, plus développée, de l’image
de More tel qu’il s’y révèle, en particulier face à la Grande Affaire du Roi. D’un drame à l’autre - et sans
que référence soit faite à l’étude des sources - More apparaît plus ou moins prudent (Anouilh), voire
hésitant (Stuart) et finalement serein devant la mort (Anouilh, Stuart, Doherty) ou, au contraire,
comme candidat volontaire au martyre, risques encourus par lui ou sa famille (Regau, Willeke).
Editor’s note
As stated by Christoph Peters in his article (p. 8), Anouilh’s script - originally composed around
1963 and not published until a few weeks after the author’s death (4 Oct. 1987) - is historically fairly
reliable. The few liberties he takes (with names, dates and titles of Acts of Parliament) should be kept
in mind when reading what must remain an artistic creation. Some alterations were suggested by
Germain Marc’hadour in his 1977-78 correspondence with the author about the English script.
Among them, “7 août 1535” (p. 108 of the published French original - Paris, La Table Ronde, 1987)
should be replaced by “6juillet” as the date of More’s execution, and “7 août 1535” (p. 145) by “1 juillet”, as
the day on which More was sentenced to death.
One can but deplore the use of the false portrait of More (Uffizi Gallery, Florence), portraying an
Elizabethan youth, on the cover of the book. In The Likeness of Thomas More, (London, 1963, p. 85), Sir
Thomas Hoby is considered as the possible subject.